Wednesday, 18 January 2012

My first Mandala

Not much going on in my art world or Etsy shop just now, needing to care for a family member so may well be a bit quiet for a while. The beauty of my new art discoveries though, means it is something that can be done 'on the move' or in waiting rooms etc, also does help you not to go quietly insane (honest).

Whilst having a free hour to browse a day or so ago I discovered a wondeful art site called 'Artisfun.com' has a lot of free teaching and ideas, that is were I discovered the Mandala, of course I have seen many around but not actually known what they were, here is the explanation from the Artisfun website:

What is a mandala? A mandala is a complex abstract design that is usually circular in form. In fact, "mandala" is a Sanskrit word that means "circle". Mandalas generally have one identifiable center point, from which emanates an array of symbols, shapes and forms.

Mandalas can contain both geometric and organic forms. They can also contain recognizable images that carry meaning for the person who is creating it.

In essence, mandalas represent the connection between our inner worlds and outer reality. Designing your own mandalas can be both inspirational and therapeutic.